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Major Factions of Dark Ages: Vampire
Dark Ages: Vampire presents a rich tapestry of factions, each representing unique cultural, political, and ideological perspectives among the Cainites of the medieval world. These factions provide the framework for alliances, conflicts, and stories in the Dark Ages chronicle.
Tzimisce Voivodate
- Location: Transylvania and Eastern Europe
- Description: A feudal structure ruled by Tzimisce Voivodes, territorial warlords who govern through fear, blood ties, and their mastery of Koldunic Sorcery and Vicissitude.
- Goals: Defend their ancestral lands, maintain the authority of the Tzimisce bloodlines, and resist foreign Cainite incursions (especially the Council of Ashes and the Fiefs of the Black Cross). DESTROY THE TREMERE!
- Enemies: The Council of Ashes, Tremere, Ventrue, and most outsiders.
Toreador Courts of Love
- Location: France and parts of the Holy Roman Empire
- Description: A network of decadent and sophisticated Toreador-led domains, where art, beauty, and intrigue reign supreme. These courts act as hubs of Cainite culture and politics, often disguising ruthless ambition beneath refined exteriors.
- Goals: Cultivate beauty and influence, preserve their cultural hegemony, and maintain control over the mortal aristocracy.
- Enemies: Nosferatu and Brujah (often excluded from the Courts), Ventrue rivals, and more traditional factions that view their hedonism as weakness.
Ventrue Fiefs of the Black Cross
- Location: Germany and the Holy Roman Empire
- Description: A network of domains governed by the knightly Ventrue, who align themselves with mortal rulers and religious orders to enforce their will. Known for their rigid adherence to order and the Seven Traditions.
- Goals: Expand their influence over the mortal feudal system, solidify Cainite governance, and resist threats from heretics, pagans, and Anarchs.
- Enemies: Tzimisce, Brujah rebels, and the Courts of Love.
Eastern Lords
- Location: Eastern Europe, including Russia, Poland, and the Balkans
- Description: A loose confederation of Cainites from various clans (including Tzimisce, Lasombra, and Nosferatu) who dominate the lands beyond the Voivodate. These lords often embody local customs and mythologies, blending pagan practices with Cainite politics.
- Goals: Maintain control over their vast and often wild territories, balance tradition with practicality, and fend off both mortal and Cainite invaders.
- Enemies: The Fiefs of the Black Cross, Tremere, and occasionally the Voivodate.
Council of Ashes
- Location: Southeastern Europe, particularly Transylvania and the Balkans
- Description: A coalition of elder Cainites seeking to impose the Seven Traditions in regions dominated by warlords and pagan practices.
- Goals: Enforce order, expand their influence over the volatile Carpathian territories, and establish themselves as the true rulers of Eastern Europe.
- Enemies: Tzimisce Voivodate, anarchs, and religiously inclined factions.
Ashirra
- Location: Islamic territories of the Middle East, North Africa, and parts of Spain
- Description: A network of Muslim Cainites who coexist with mortal Islamic society, upholding their own code of ethics and theology. Dominated by the Banu Haqim (Assamites) but including Lasombra, Toreador, and other clans.
- Goals: Preserve the balance between Cainite and mortal society, defend Islamic lands against Crusader incursions, and maintain the honor of their traditions.
- Enemies: Crusader-aligned Cainites (Ventrue, Lasombra), Tremere, and the Baali.
Tremere Chantries
- Location: Central Europe, particularly in Austria and Hungary
- Description: The nascent Tremere clan, organized into magical chantries, pursues its goals of survival and dominance through Thaumaturgy. Their feud with the Tzimisce defines much of their early history.
- Goals: Expand their influence, solidify their Cainite identity, and eliminate threats like the Tzimisce and Salubri.
- Enemies: Tzimisce, Salubri remnants, and any who question their legitimacy as a clan.
Cappadocian Necropoli
- Location: Italy, Greece, and the Mediterranean
- Description: Centers of Cappadocian power, these domains focus on death, necromancy, and philosophical exploration. They often operate in secret, avoiding mortal interference.
- Goals: Uncover the mysteries of death, protect their Necropoli from external threats, and consolidate their knowledge.
- Enemies: Giovani usurpers, Lasombra rivals, and mortal inquisitors.
Followers of Set Cults
- Location: Egypt and scattered throughout Europe and the Middle East
- Description: Shadowy, underground cults led by the Followers of Set, focused on spreading corruption and worshiping their dark god.
- Goals: Undermine other factions, accumulate power through subterfuge, and spread their religious influence.
- Enemies: Ashirra, Church-aligned factions, and idealistic clans like the Salubri.
Anarchs
- Location: Scattered across Europe
- Description: A growing movement of younger Cainites who rebel against elder domination, rejecting the feudal structures of Cainite society.
- Goals: Overthrow oppressive elders, challenge traditional power dynamics, and forge their own paths.
- Enemies: Any elder-dominated faction, particularly the Ventrue and Lasombra.
Giovanni Conspirators
- Location: Italy and Venice
- Description: A powerful offshoot of the Cappadocians, the Giovanni family focuses on controlling mortal wealth and mastering necromancy.
- Goals: Consolidate wealth and influence, usurp the Cappadocians, and master the secrets of death.
- Enemies: Cappadocians, Toreador rivals, and other merchant-based factions.
Brujah Rebels
- Location: Spain, Southern France, and scattered regions
- Description: Groups of Brujah who oppose elder control and seek to create a more egalitarian society, often aligning with mortal uprisings.
- Goals: Topple tyrannical elders, spread revolutionary ideas, and empower the younger generations.
- Enemies: Ventrue, Tzimisce, and other elder factions.
Nosferatu Warrens
- Location: Underground throughout Europe
- Description: Nosferatu gather in secretive warrens, where they hoard information and act as intermediaries between factions.
- Goals: Maintain their autonomy, trade secrets for influence, and protect their hidden sanctuaries.
- Enemies: Toreador (especially in the Courts of Love), Tremere, and anyone seeking to exploit their networks.
Smaller Factions and Independent Players
- Salubri Remnants: Scattered survivors of a dying clan, hunted by the Tremere but still revered for their healing abilities.
- Lasombra Crusaders: Cainites who play shadow games with Christian Crusades, advancing both mortal and vampiric goals in the Holy Land and abroad. Their web extends across the Mediterranean and is centered on the island of Sicily where the Amici Noctis "Court of Shadow" hold dominion.
- Ravnos Nomads: Wandering clans who blend illusion with cultural traditions, often clashing with local authorities.
- Baali Cults: Infernalist Cainites who spread corruption and chaos wherever they go.